Improvement in air-compressors



2 Sheets--Sheet l.

W. S. DEEDS. Air-Compressors.

Patented June 30,1874.

FIG.1

2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

w. sQnEEns. Air-Compressors.

N0.l52,'468, VPatentedjuneSO,1874.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEFIcE.

GEORGE H. DEEDs,

OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN AIR-COMPRESSORS.

Specication formingpart of Letters Patent No. 152,468', dated June 30,1874; application tiled September 30, 1873.

To all 'whom t't may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. DEEDs, ofthe city of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented aDirect-Acting Steam Air-Compressing Engine, for heating railroadcars,buildings, Src., of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to a novel cut-oi'device, by means of which theengine is made direct-acting, and in combination therewith of two steamand air cylinders, of ditferent diameters, centrally arranged with eachother, and having their pistons connected together by means of a hollowpiston-rod, which has near each end a small tube passing through it forthe passage of steam to the eut-oli' valves, to change their positionsfor the reversed strokes of the pistons, and so arranged as to cause thesteam on one side of the larger piston to force it downward or forward,and'foree air out of the cylinder on the other side of the pistonthrough a valve, which is opened by the pressure of the air into areservoir. Both pistons are carried back in their reversed stroke theaction of steam on the lower side of the smaller piston. At the sametime the large cylinder is charged with atmospheric air, that enters theouter and open end of the small cylinder, and passes down through thehollow piston-rod, and opens a valve at the lower end ot' the same,which connects with the large piston, land through which the air owsinto the large cylinder during the upward stroke of the piston. Oneobject of using the air in the same cylinder in which steam is appliedis the cooling of the cylinder by the air. Another object is theeconomizing of the heat im parted by the steam to the cylinder; and alsoto give simplicity and cheapness to the e011- struction, and thearrangement of all the moving parts inside of the engine, and thusinsure protection thereto, as well as to take up as little room aspossible.

The main purpose of this invention is to use it in connection with myear-heater, the application for Letters Patent of which was liled May16, 187 3.

Figure l is a side elevation of the cylinders A and B, having inconnection the cylindrical steamehest O. Fig. 2 is a vertical section ofthe same, taken at line x x of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a cross-section at liney y of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-section, taken at the same line y y,cutting through the tube i in the lower end ofthe piston-rod F, when thepistons are in their upward position. Fig. 5, Sheet N o. 2, is aperspective view of the steam-chest O, on an enlarged scale, separatedin the middle for the purpose of exhibiting the interior. Fig. 6 is aperspective View ofthe cut-olf valves O, O1, and O2. Fig. 7 is ahorizontal section, taken at the line z z of Fig. l. Fig. 8 is areversed plan view of the steam chest C. Figs. 9 and l0 are an end and aside view of the annular guide X.

Like letters of reference in all the figures indicate the same parts.

A is the large steam and air cylinder, and B a small steam-cylinder,connected therewith by means of the annular steam-chest C, which isfastened between the contiguous en ds of the cylinders by thescrew-bolts. The use of the small cylinder B and piston E is merely thecarrying of the large piston D back to its upward position, andconsequently4 the cylinder is only made large enough to form a spacearound the connecting-rod F of sufficient area to receive the requisitepressure of steam ou the lower side of the piston E, to carry the pistonup, and exhaust the steam from the cylinder A. The piston D of thesteam-cylinder A, and the piston E ofthe cylinder B, are connected withthe ends of the hollow pistourod F, the bore of the rod serving for thepassage of air from the cylinder B to the lower side of the piston D, tobe compressed and forced into a reservoir for heating purposes, the boreat the lower end of the rod being opened and closed by means of thevalve G, as seen in Fig. 2. The downward movement of the valve isgoverned by means of the pins Z Z, which pass through opposite sides ofthe piston-rod F, the head of the rod of the valve resting thereon. G isa valve in the case H, on the lower side of head I of the cylinder A,through which the air is forced through the pipe J into a reservoir,notl shown in the drawings. X is an annular guide for the valve, havingopenings g/ at its top edge, for the passage of air into the annularspace z, and openn Y l l ings i,l at its bottom edge for the passage/cf,the air from thence through the openings y? to the interior of theval-ve, whence it passes down through the pipe J into the reservoir. l(represents a portion oi' the steam-pipe which leads from the steam-chestC to the boiler; and li the exhaust-pipe.

In the partitioirplate a ot' the steam-chest (l, b represents the portwhich lets live steam from the chamber er, in the lower side of thesteam-chest C, into the' annular chamber Q, in the upper side of thesteam-chest; and c, a pipe which leads from the annular steamchamber Q,down through the chamber 1v, into the cylinder A. L is a port whichexhausts steam from the cylinder A, when in communication with thecharge-pipe 0, as seen in Fi 0'.

4. lhen the valves O, O1, and O2', are in the position they assume inthis figure, the communication is cut oli' between the live-steam port band said pipe c by means of the valve O1, whereby the steam in thecylinder A exhausts back through the pipe c, and is discharged into thechamber M through the port L. L is a port which exhausts steam from thecylinder B, when the valves are in the position seen in Fig. 3, and inthisposition the valve O1 cuts ott the communication bctweenthelive-steam port b and the chargeport h of the steam-cylinder B, and thevalve O opens the communication of the same with that of theexhaust-port L whereby the steam exhausts back through the port z/andinto the exhaust-chamber M through the port L. The exhaust-ports L and Lhave extensions, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, to allow the air between thepartition o and the cut-ott' valves O andO? to exhaust while the Valvesare being pushed toward the partition. The inlet-port b has an extensiontoward the charge-port h, so that ir the cut -off valve Ol should stopover the port it will not completely close oft' the steam, and the portbeing much the largest toward the charge-port c, the piston D will beoperated by the steam when the valve O1 stops midway over the port b,and its extension; and when it stops over the-port b, the extensionadmits steam to operate the piston D. R is a small tube or pipe in thelower end of the cylinder A. It leads to an expansionva-lve (not seen inthe drawing) in the steampipe to close the valve and cut ott' the steamfrom the lower end of the cylinder A by means of the pressure of the airin the cylinder at a given portion of the stroke of the piston D, theexpansion-valve being provided with a spring or weight, which isarranged to resist a given amount of pressure, and which opens the valvewhen the piston D is moving back, the pressure of the air beinwithdrawn.

rlhe operation is as follows: W'hen the pistons D and E are in theirlower positions, represented in Fig. 2, the small tube d across thehollow piston-rod F, at its upper en d, com.- mimica-tes with the portsc and fin the sides of the stuffing-box g, whereby the steam passes fromthe space between the valves O1 and O2,

seen in and et, through the tube d and the ports j' and e, and operateson the valve 0,'and pushes arou-nd the-three valves O, 01, and O2, inthe position seen in Fig. 3, cutting ott' the port t), which admits livesteam, from the port c ofthe steam-cylinder A, and at the same timeopensjthe communication between the port c and the exhaust-port L,whereby the steam is exhausted from the cylinder A, back through thepipe c, and into the exhaustchamber M, through the port L, during theupward stroke of the pistons D and E, which is'eaused by the steamoperating on the lower side of the piston Eet' the small cylinder B, bymeans ot' the communication of the port b of the live steam with theport 7l., (seen in Figs. 2 and 7,) between the`valves 0 and O1, as shownin Figs. 3 and 7. Then thepistons assume their upward position, thesmall cross tube i in the lower end of thefhollow pistonrod Fcommunicates with the ports k and l, (seen in Figs. 3, 4, and 5,) andsteam passes from the space between the valves O and Ol, through theport L, the small tube 17, and the port l, and operates on the ValveO2to turn the valves around to ther opposite side of the steam-chestC,into the positions seen in Fig. 4, whereby the live-steam port b is putAinto communication with the port c, to admit live steam into thecylinder A to operate the pis ton D, causing it to descend into lits'-lower position, (shown in Fig. 2,) same time, the exhaust-port L isbrought into communication with the port h between the valves O and Olto exhaust steam from the cylinder B during the downward stroke ofthepiston D. The cylinder B being open at its upper end, atmosphericpressure is exerted on the piston E, and the area of the upper side ofsaid piston being greater .than that ofthe under side, the atmosphericpressure on the lower side, while the steam is exhausting, is more thanbalanced.

The air to be compressed is admitted to the large cylinder A through thehollow pistonrod F, provided with a valve, G, at its lower end, thepressure ofthe air on the upper side of the valve opening and retainingit in its open position during the upward stroke of the pistons, wherebythe air is admitted to rush into and fill the vacuum in the lower end ofthe cylinder, caused by the ascent ot' the piston. The air is forcedoutof the cylinder Aydurin g the downward stroke of the piston D,through the port m and-valve G at the lower end of the cylinder A, andthrough the vertical pipe J, into a reservoir, (not seen in thedrawings,) the valve G being closed by the pressure ot' air on its lowerside during the downward stroke of the piston. The lower valve G isclosed during the upward motion ot' the pistons by the back pressure ot'air in the reservoir (mentioned in the preceding sentence)upon the lowerside ot' the valve. The atmosphere is admitted to the engine through anopening in the upper end of the small cylinder B. The opening should beconwhile, at thehected by means ot` a pipe with anair-filterer; or itmay be provided with a sieve, to prevent the passage of anything thatmight be mixed up with the air, that would vclog the engine.

The pistons are prevented turning around and misplacing the openings ofthe tubes d andby a rod, P, situated at one side of the interior` of thecylinder B, and passing through the piston E. The exhaust steam fromboth cylinders, A and B, discharges through the ports L and L into theexhaust-chamber M, (seen in Figs. 1, 5, and 8,) and passes from thencethrough the pipe K into a coil of steampipe into the reservoir, (notseen in the drawings,) or wherever desired. The live steam from asteam-boiler charges the steam-chamber w (seen in Figs. 5 and 7) bymeans of a pipe, K, communicating with the port y. The partition v inthe steam-chest is for an abutinent of the steam in the cut-oli` valvesO, O1, and O2. Small plates w, m1, x2, and .1.3 are placed between theshell of the stuffing-box g and the rod F tocover the ends of the tubes(l and 'i and keep the stutting in the stuiing-box from closing uponthem. They have ports in them to admit of the passage of steam to theports e and l from the ports lc and f. The box g answers both for astuffing-box and for a partition to form an annular space for thecut-oli' valves 0, O1, and O2 to operate in. The steam exhausts backfrom the cylinders through the same ports through which it is charged.The valves O, O1, and O2 are provided with stuifing to make themsteam-tight, and for this end they are provided with a groove, u, asseen in Fig. 6.

By attaching the engine to a steam-boiler and connecting with it anair-vessel or reservoir and an automatic regulator, to regulate therunning o f the engine, the latter may be used for heating buildings,drying lumber, &c. By operation with steam at sixty pounds press nre andupward the air will be made hot enough 1. The combination andarrangement of the cylindrical steam-chest C with a steam and aircylinder, A, hollow piston-rod F, and a steam cylinder, B, substantiallyin the manner and for the purpose herein specified.

2. The combination and arrangement of the cylindrical steam-chest C,cuto valves 0, O1, and 02, charge port or pipe c, charge-port h, exhaustand steam ports K and K', and the stuffing-box g with the hollowpiston-rod F, and steam 'and air cylinders A and B, substantially in themanner and for the purpose described.

3. The combination and arrangement of the hollow piston-rod F,containing the small tubes d and i, with the stuffing-box g, steamchestO, cut-oft' valves 0 O1 and O2, and the steam and air cylinders A and B,substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the hollow piston-rod F, having the small tubes dand z', with the pistons Band E, substantially in the manner and for thepurpose herein shown.

5. The combination of the annular guide X,

having openings y and y', with the valve G', and case El, substantiallyiny the manner and. for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of the pipe R with the cylinder A, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

wiLLiAM s. DEEDS.

